


my world never looked so bright

by drfitzmonster



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Butch Kara Danvers, Coming Out, F/F, Fab Five, Love Confessions, Makeover, Unnecessarily Dramatic Alex Danvers, queer eye AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-06-04 22:18:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15156818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drfitzmonster/pseuds/drfitzmonster
Summary: Alex writes to the Fab Five on behalf of her sister, hoping they can help give Kara the confidence to come out to her family and friends. While they're at it maybe they can help her finally tell Lena how she really feels about her.





	my world never looked so bright

**Author's Note:**

> I know it's taken me forever to actually get this out, but I hope y'all like it. Thanks to badndngirl and gveret and my lovely friends on tumblr for all the love and encouragement. <3

Dear Fab Five,

I’m writing to nominate my sister, Kara. She needs your help, so badly. She recently came out as a lesbian to me, but she’s afraid to tell the rest of our friends and family. I _know_ that everyone will accept and support her. (They were all really awesome when I came out a couple of years ago.) She’s just afraid. She keeps secrets to protect herself, but it ends up hurting her in the end.

The most important thing you should now about Kara is how kind and loving and generous she is. She comes off really shy and awkward at first, but anyone who really knows her will tell you that she’s full of this infectious warmth and positive energy. She brings out the best in everyone.

Another thing you should know about Kara is that she’s lost a lot in her life. More than any one person, especially a child, should have to endure. Kara is a refugee. She lost her entire family, her culture, her whole world when she was 12 years old. She came to stay with us, and my parents officially adopted her when she was 13.

Our relationship was a little rocky at first. We fought a lot. I resented her, and all the disruption she brought to my life. But when I realized that she was just a lonely, scared little girl who had no one and who needed love more than anything, my attitude changed completely. We became really close, and now she’s my favorite person.

I don’t think Kara’s ever felt truly at home here. Not in this country and not even in her own body. She’s lost, still trying to find out who she is and where she fits. I want to help her find herself, and find a place where she feels the same sense of stability and security that I feel whenever I’m around her.

I want to help her come out of her shell and be her true authentic self. I want to help her stop doing things because she thinks she has to blend in, or because she somehow owes it to us to be “normal.” I know that she doesn’t dress or style her hair the way she really wants to. She feels like she’s not allowed to be different, that she’s been so much of a burden already, and that being gay is too much.

I want to show her it’s not too much. I want to show her how amazing and wonderful her true self is.

Kara has every right to be hard-hearted and cynical after everything she’s been through. But she’s not. She chooses every single day to see the beauty in the world around her. I just want her to be able to see it in herself.

 

* * *

 

“So, it’s pretty good, right?” Alex leaned forward, peering at the laptop that was sitting in front of them.

“It’s really good.”

“Good enough to get them to come to National City?”

“They’d be fools not to.” Sam turned to Alex and pulled her into a kiss.

“Thanks, honey.”

“Did you finish? Can I see? Do you really think they’ll come?” Ruby asked, rapid fire, as she came bouncing up behind them. She placed a hand on each of their shoulders, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet.

“I hope so, Ruby,” Alex said, sighing and placing a hand over the girl’s where it rested on her shoulder. “I hope they do, and I hope they can help her see she doesn’t have to hide anymore.”

Ruby leaned down over the back of the couch so she could read the letter, toppling over in between Alex and Sam, and squirming around until she was upright and snugly nestled between the two of them.

“Aunt Kara was only 12 when she came here? That’s the same age as me.” Ruby frowned, looking up at Alex. “Was she scared?”

“Yeah, sweetheart, she was at first.”

“How did her family die?”

Alex winced and looked uncertainly at Sam, who just squeezed her hand and nodded. Alex told her the story, about Kal and the pods and the Phantom Zone. By the time she was done Ruby was crying, face hidden against Sam’s sweater, and Alex deeply regretted saying anything at all.

Alex rubbed her back, unsure of what to say. She had no idea how to make what happened to Kara seem any less terrible, but she tried her best to come up with something at least halfway reassuring. “Kara’s ok now, Ruby. She has us and all her friends and if the Queer Eye guys come she’ll be even better than ok.”

Ruby lifted her head, her face splotchy and wet with tears. “Promise?”

“I promise.”

Ruby sniffled and wiped her face with her sleeve. “Mom, can we go visit Aunt Kara tomorrow?”

“Of course, sweetie. That sounds like a great idea.” Sam hugged her daughter tightly to her, kissing the top of her head. “I think it’s about time for bed. Why don’t you go get ready and we’ll come say goodnight in a few minutes.”

“Ok, Mom.”

As soon as Ruby left the room, Alex turned to Sam. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset her like that.”

“It’s ok. If you hadn’t told her she would have looked it up herself.” Sam sighed, giving Alex’s arm a tug so she would come closer. “That would have been much worse. It’s better that she heard it from you.”

Alex moved into Sam’s arms, suddenly hit with a sharp pang of sadness that made tears well up in her eyes. “She’s so young,” she said, clutching at Sam as she started to cry. “So young.”

Alex wasn’t sure if she was talking about Ruby or Kara, but she felt the exact same fierce protectiveness over both of them. The two of them, each in their own way, had taught her how to love selflessly and absolutely, how to open up and allow herself to be loved.

“I just wish I could keep her safe from everything,” Alex said quietly, laying her head against Sam’s chest.

“I know, baby,” Sam said, stroking Alex’s hair gently. “I do too.”

 

* * *

 

Kara was about to take her turn, about to roll the dice and finally cement her victory, when a knock came at the door. Winn started to get up, but Alex grabbed his arm.

“Kara, will you get that?”

“But it’s my turn.”

“Kara. Get the door,” Alex said again, sounding much more irritated than she should be.

Kara sighed in frustration and stood. “ _Fine_. But I don’t know why you’re being so weird about it.” She was so distracted trying to figure out what was up with Alex that she didn’t look through the door like she normally would have.

So when she opened it took her a moment to realize exactly what she was seeing. When her brain registered that it was them, all five of them right there, she was so shocked she slammed the door shut right in their faces. She felt her chest tightening up, and she turned, letting herself fall back against the door.

“Alex!” she squeaked out, her voice catching in her throat.

“Kara, what the hell? Open the door,” Alex said as she rushed over.

“What are _they_ doing here?” she held her hands back against the door.

“They’re here for you, Kara.”

“ _What?!_ ” She couldn’t breathe. It was too much. Sure, she’d thought about it, dreamed about it even, ever since Alex made her watch the show, but they were here, now, a few inches of wood the only thing separating her from them. She was hyperventilating. She felt like all the air had been sucked from the room.

Alex grabbed her arm. “Breathe, Kara. Come on. Come with me to the bedroom, and we’ll talk for a minute, ok?” When Kara nodded she called back toward the others, “Winn will you let them in and, um... show them around. I’m going to talk to Kara for a sec.”

Winn jumped up from the couch. “Yeah, of course, yes, right away.”

Alex led Kara to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She sat Kara on the bed and just held her hand for a little bit, talking softly to her and helping her get her breathing slowed down.

“I know it’s overwhelming, but I know you want this. _You_ know you want this.” Alex pulled her into a tight hug. “But if you’re not ready that’s ok. I love you no matter what you decide.” She kissed the side of Kara’s head. “I just want to help you.”

“Alex, I don’t... I mean, I just...” Kara huffed out a frustrated breath. How much longer was she going to keep torturing herself?

“Aren’t you tired of hiding?”

Kara began to cry. She was tired. She was so very tired of hiding who she really was from the world. She knew Alex was right, terrified as she was of admitting it, of saying it out loud.

“What if people don’t like it? What if I make all these changes and, and...” she lowered her voice, “ _tell_ everyone, and they hate me? What if Lena hates me? What will I do?”

“Kara, we all love you so much. None of your friends will hate you. We just want you to be happy.”

“I’m scared.”

Alex took both of Kara’s hands in hers. “I know you are. It’s ok to be scared. Change is scary, but I promise—”

A knock at the door startled them both.

Kara bent her head so she could look over the top of her glasses. “It’s, um... it’s Tan.”

“Do you want me to let him in?”

Kara took a deep breath. “Yeah. Let him in.”

Alex opened the door long enough for Tan to come in.

“Hi, Kara. Can I come sit?”

Kara nodded.

“I’m just going to...” Alex jutted a thumb over her shoulder and slipped out the door before Kara could protest.

Tan sat on the bed, leaving a bit of distance between himself and Kara. “You have a lovely family.”

“Thank you.”

“Your sister told us a little bit about you.” When Kara frowned he added, “Don’t worry, all good things, but she did say that you’ve been struggling a little bit lately, that you’re not very satisfied with your life right now, specifically the way you look. Is that true?”

Kara looked down at her hands, trying to hold the tears back, but she couldn’t.

“Can you tell me why you’re crying?”

“It’s just... no one knows the real me, besides Alex. I’m afraid people won’t like what they see. I’m afraid they’ll reject me.”

“Because you’re a lesbian?”

Kara felt her chest tightening up. “You can _tell?"_

“Well, your sister did put it in the letter she wrote to us, but even if she hadn’t, would it be so bad if I could?”

“Yes.”

The thought of someone being able to tell she was a lesbian just by looking at her was absolutely terrifying. If they could tell that, the thing she’d been desperately trying to conceal for so long, what else could they tell? Could they tell she was an alien? That she was Supergirl?

“What’s going through your mind right now? You said one word but I can almost hear how hard you’re thinking.”

“I just... I can’t be gay.”

“But, Kara, you are... Aren’t you?”

“I mean, yes, I am, but if I do this, then everyone will _know_.”

“We’re here to help you feel more confident about yourself. We’re not going to just sweep through and change everything about you without your consent. You’re in control here. We’re not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to do or wear anything that makes you uncomfortable.”

Kara sighed. “See, that’s the thing. I don’t think I’ve ever been comfortable in my life.”

Tan showed her a sympathetic smile, tilting his head and watching her from beneath a furrowed brow. He had kind eyes. Something about them reminded Kara of her father.

“This is your decision, and we’re not going to be angry or offended if you want us to leave. But I don’t think you want us to. I think you’re terribly lonely, despite all your friends. You’re hiding who you really are because you’ve lost everything before, and you’re afraid of losing everything again... Am I very far off?”

Kara shook her head. “No, you’re not.”

“You should give us a chance, Kara. I think you’ll find that once you open yourself to other people, your life will become richer and fuller than you ever imagined it could.”

Kara knew he was right. And she also knew an opportunity like this wasn’t going to come along again. So, scared as she was, she knew she had to say yes.

“Ok.” Kara nodded. “I’ll do it.”

**Author's Note:**

> come yell your feelings at me on tumblr: [drfitzmonster](http://drfitzmonster.tumblr.com)


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